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Tony Khan Details the Rise of Mariah May in AEW

An idea from Tony Khan, classic Hollywood films from 1950, and Toni Storm redefining her character led to a new opportunity for Mariah May

Justin Barrasso

SI.com’s Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.

Mariah May’s turn was a year in the making

Last week, in the closing moments of Dynamite, Mariah May brought to life a story that was conceived a year ago.

Dynamite ended in spectacular fashion with May bludgeoning former mentor Toni Storm with her shoe, then bathing in Storm’s blood before standing tall over her crimson face as the show went off the air. This all occurred in the aftermath of May’s Owen Hart Cup win over Willow Nightingale, a victory that places her in a match against Storm for the AEW women’s championship at All In next month at Wembley Stadium.

Long before May turned on Storm, a conversation between May and AEW CEO Tony Khan took place in May of 2023. Khan, who is immersed in all different types of professional wrestling, was keeping a close eye on the talent from Japan in Stardom. When he witnessed the magnetic allure of May, he quickly realized she would be a natural fit for AEW.

And Khan had the perfect storyline for her, too.

“I reached out and said I had this idea for her in AEW, and that it was a long-term plan,” said Khan. “She responded to me that night, and that’s how it all started.”

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Prior to reaching out to May, a discussion between Khan and Bryan Danielson further cemented Khan’s belief that May in AEW was a necessity.

“Bryan Danielson and I were flying home from Double or Nothing, and we were talking about wrestling and what stuck out to us, and Bryan asked, ‘Have you seen Mariah?’” said Khan. “I said I had, and that I was amazed at how, very quickly, she’d become one of the top stars in Stardom. We both agreed she was very polished and charismatic. That’s when I asked Bryan if he’d seen All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard.”

Toni Storm, Mariah May, and Tony Khan
Toni Storm, Mariah May, and Tony Khan / AEW

Danielson hadn’t seen those films–both All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard came to the big screen in 1950–but Khan knew them well. Though significant time has passed since their theatrical releases, the films remain classics. And they inspired Khan to create a storyline where May would admire Storm before ultimately turning on her.

The reason it worked so well is because the foundation for the story was already in place. Even prior to signing May, wheels were in motion to transform Toni Storm into her “Timeless” persona.

Khan’s idea was to recreate Storm as a dynamic new character based off Hollywood stars from the past, and Storm captured the essence of the role in a grandiose manner that has helped redefine her career.

“I went to Toni Storm and suggested these movies–All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard–because she had that larger-than-life persona like Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard and Bette Davis in All About Eve,” said Khan. “That is ‘Timeless’ Toni Storm. She’s that starlet, with that presence–backstage, in the ring, out of the ring–of one of those rare old Hollywood stars. This is the role Toni was born to play, and she is absolutely incredible at it.”

From his repeated viewings of Sunset Boulevard, Khan also found a part for Luther–as Storm’s devoted butler. Luther was cast in that role in October, a month before May arrived.

“It’s the perfect role as an emotional counterpoint,” said Khan. “He’s always at her side and would do anything for her, and you can tell Luther never fully trusted Mariah.”

Working alongside Khan in creative for this storyline has been on-screen host RJ City, who also has an excellent grasp on old-school booking.

“My right hand in all of this is RJ,” said Khan. “He was the only person in the office who’d seen All About Eve and Sunset Boulevard, and he understood old Hollywood and the old movies. He’s been so valuable and tremendous throughout this process. He has a great aptitude for wrestling, and he was also able to use these movies for inspiration.”

As Storm took her “Timeless” character to new places, it allowed Khan to further involve May in the story. Only 25, and lacking prior television experience in North America, May has been marvelous since her arrival in AEW last November.

“I saw something in her, and I asked her to do something very different when she came to AEW,” said Khan. “There was even some backlash at the beginning when people were pushing back that she came into AEW as this big fan of Toni Storm, which was very different from what she was doing in Stardom. Now we’re going to learn how and why she did all this, and how she became one of the biggest stars in wrestling in less than a year in AEW.”

May’s trajectory continues to climb at a rapid pace. Later this evening on Dynamite, she will address her savage actions from last week.

“Tonight, she’ll speak for the first time since this betrayal,” said Khan. “We’ll hear what’s in Mariah’s heart, and I think people are going to be amazed at what they learn.”

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  • Tonight’s Dynamite is loaded, with MJF against Will Ospreay–and Swerve against Kazuchika Okada. If that isn’t enough, Mercedes Moné against Nyla Rose is also on the card for the 250th Dynamite.
  • Both WWE and AEW wanted to sign Stephanie Vaquer. Ultimately, WWE pulled off the free agent signing.
  • Not to be outdone, so did Iyo Sky, who also returned to Japan this weekend.
  • Ishii fans rejoice.
  • Jesse Collings wrote an interesting piece on WWE’s history of working its enemies into on-air storylines.
  • Joe Hendry returned to NXT last night.
  • And if you were looking for a Game Boy cover of “I Believe in Joe Hendry”, you’re in luck. Spoiler: it’s tremendous.

Wyatt Faction has been strong–so far

The Wyatt Sicks
The Wyatt Sicks / WWE

Bo Dallas & crew have been outstanding so far as the Wyatt Sicks.

I still don’t see a long-term future for the group, but I hope that belief turns out to be incorrect. The vignette with Erick Rowan from Raw was powerful. In a unique manner, it was sad, sweet, and gripping. He offered a touching tribute to Bray Wyatt and Brodie Lee, who was Luke Harper in WWE, and it even reminded me of the first Wyatt Family vignettes from their early days in NXT.

Then the lights went out in the ring, and the group came to the aid of Dallas, who had been taking a beating from Chad Gable and the Creed Brothers. But can this group continue to build momentum when the lights are on?

From my perspective, the key to the Wyatt Sicks is Dallas. He needs to be a charismatic, captivating leader. The group can evolve, but it will stay hot as long as the one in charge remains compelling.

There are parallels to the The Dark Order in AEW. Even after the devastating passing of Brodie Lee, the group has still had some highlights, particularly when Hangman Page joined. But ever since Brodie’s passing, The Dark Order has always existed in his shadow. The Wyatt Sicks is a fresh creation built in Bray’s likeness, which is a significant difference.

Is there a future for the group? Does it still exist in two years? Will there still be the excitement from the crowd two months from now?

To me, that fate sits on Bo Dallas’ shoulders.

Tweet of the Week

MJF did a tremendous job connecting Ospreay to England’s heart wrenching loss in the Euro finals against Spain.

Published
Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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